Google Summer of Code 2013

Google Summer of Code is an an innovative program dedicated to introducing students from colleges and universities around the world to open source software development. The program offers student developers stipends to write code for various open source projects with the help of mentoring organizations from all around the globe.

Clojure/dev successfully participated in Google Summer of Code in 2012, and we'd like to do it again in 2013. This wiki page will serve as Clojure/dev's portal for participation in GSoC 2013. We can coordinate participation here and on the Clojure mailing list.

What's new?

Google Summer of Code 2013 has been officially announced, and it is time to prepare Clojure's application. This means it is time to start discussing ideas on the mailing list and posting them to the Project Ideas page.

Upcoming events

These are the next few events:

18 March 19:00 UTC: Application period for mentoring organizations opens

29 March 19:00 UTC: Mentoring organization application deadline

8 April 19:00 UTC: List of accepted mentoring organizations published

Getting involved

Interested in participating in Clojure's Google Summer of Code? Read below about how to participate as a student, mentor, or administrator.

Students

Getting ready for GSoC

It's still early in the process, but applying to be a GSoC student is very competitive. Here are some things you can do now to improve your application:

Get in touch with a mentor

One of the most important things you can do to strengthen your application is to communicate with potential mentors. A mentor can help you by reviewing your project ideas and giving you suggestions on how to improve your application. Additionally, when selecting students, students who already having good working relationships with mentors will be in much stronger positions.

Get involved with the community

Talk about your idea on the Clojure mailing list. This is a great place to get feedback on your idea and find potential mentors. If you will be needing to interact with one or more existing projects, get involved on those projects' mailing lists and talk to the people involved with those projects. All of these things will raise awareness of you and your project making it more likely that you will be able to find a good mentor.

Research your project

A good application will show that the you have taken the time to understand the project you would like to work on over the summer. This includes being able to point out what are the prerequisites for your project (i.e. specific skills needed to be able to complete the project) and how you meet them. Also, you should be able to point out possible trouble spots for your project and how you plan to mitigate those risks.

Show initiative

Good GSoC students are self-motivated, are able to manage their work independently, and handle difficulties as they arise.

Resources

Mentors

Becoming a mentor can be a fun and rewarding experience. It is also a great way to help grow the community around your particular Clojure project. You can get started now by posting suggestions for student projects on the Project Ideas page.

Responsibilities

To be a successful mentor, you will need to:

Keep in touch with your student

Take the time to review your student's work

Report on your student's progress at the mid-term and the final. You should be able to fail your student if he or she is not performing.